This copycat Popeyes mac and cheese is a creamy, dreamy, 4 cheese crazy-delicious version of a mac ad cheese that’s a snap to make. It can be on your dinner table in no time and your family will love it.
Tender elbow macaroni, swimming in a luscious cream sauce, then topped with all the right cheeses. It’s pure cheesy comfort food!
I hope you’ll try my baked macaroni and cheese, creamy crockpot mac and cheese, copycat chick fil a mac and cheese, and copycat Cracker Barrel mac and cheese next!
Popeyes Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- Pasta: I used elbows but you can switch up the shape. Use a high-quality brand like Barilla.
- Butter: I like unsalted butter.
- All-Purpose Flour: This thickens the cream sauce when it binds with the butter.
- Cream: Creates a luscious texture in the sauce.
- Milk: I like whole milk in the sauce.
- Cheddar: I use extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Gouda: I love this creamy, nutty flavor. It’s the star in this smoked gouda mac and cheese.
- Mozzarella: This adds more mild, cheesy flavor.
- Parmesan: Adds some complex, nutty, sharp flavor.
- Dry Mustard: Adds some tangy flavor to balance the sauce.
- Garlic Powder: Adds some mild garlic flavor.
- Cayenne Powder: Adds a bit of spice to the sauce. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Salt + Black Pepper: Finishes the seasoning to perfection.
Tips
- Al Dente: Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook it just to al dente. Al dente is an Italian term that literally means, “to the bite”. When the pasta is done, it should be soft, not mushy, and have a bit of resistance to the bite.
- Salt The Past Water: Be sure to generously salt the pasta water before cooking the pasta. This will give the pasta a wonderful flavor that it wouldn’t otherwise have.
- Skip The Bag Cheese! Shred your own cheese. The stuff that comes in the bag is convenient, but it is coated with cellulose, a wood pulp product.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Does This Last In The Fridge? This Popeyes homestyle mac and cheese will last 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Can You Freeze This? This Popeyes new mac and cheese can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can cook the pasta, prepare the cheese sauce, and store them separately in the fridge. Combine the two then pour it into a prepared baking dish right before baking.
- Food Safety: Follow the FDA’s advice to observe the 2-hour rule for serving, just to be on the safe side. If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
How to Make Copycat Popeyes Mac and Cheese
- Preheat the oven. Cook the pasta.
- Melt butter and sprinkle flour. Whisk.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in heavy cream and whole milk.
- Return pan to low heat, stir in cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, parmesan, and all the spices.
- Stir in cooked and drained pasta.
- Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella.
- Bake until the cheese is golden brown.
***See the full instructions below.
More Copycat Dinner Recipes
- KFC Coleslaw
- Portillo’s Chopped Salad
- One-Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Tortellini Al Forno (Olive Garden Copycat)
- PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
- KFC Famous Bowl Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
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Popeye's Mac And Cheese
This copycat Popeyes mac and cheese is a creamy, dreamy, 4 cheese crazy-delicious version of mac and cheese that's a snap to make.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow pasta
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup gouda cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Topping:
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to box instructions until al dente, in well-salted water. Drain; set aside.
- Melt butter (4 ounces) in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle flour (1/2 cup) over the butter and whisk into melted butter. Cook for 1 to minutes, whisking constantly, to remove the raw flour taste.
- Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream (2 cups) and the whole milk (3 cups) until smooth. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.
- Return pan to low heat and stir in cheddar (1/3 cup), gouda (1/3 cup), mozzarella (1/2 cup), parmesan cheese (1/3 cup), mustard powder (1/2 teaspoon), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), cayenne pepper (1/4 teaspoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon) and black pepper (1/4 teaspoon).
- Stir in cooked and drained pasta.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar and 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Al Dente: Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook it just to al dente. Al dente is an Italian term that literally means, “to the bite”. When the pasta is done, it should be soft, not mushy, and have a bit of resistance to the bite.
- Salt The Past Water: Be sure to generously salt the pasta water before cooking the pasta. This will give the pasta a wonderful flavor that it wouldn’t otherwise have.
- Skip The Bag Cheese! Shred your own cheese. The stuff that comes in the bag is convenient, but it is coated with cellulose, a wood pulp product.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1870IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 562mg
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amazing, I think it is the gouda, what ever, my daughters loved it. They both said, wow, taste just like Popeyes. This recipe is going to save me money. Thank you so much. God bless you and all you love with good health and some good times.
Im so happy your daughters loved this Mac and Cheese! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and the 5 star rating!!
I made this exactly as written, and while it’s tasty, it’s not at all like Popeye’s. Popeyes is much more yellow and I felt this recipe needed to be mostly cheddar because there wasn’t a ton of flavor- just lots of fat.
Yaaay! That’s so awesome, Andrea! Thanks for your positive feedback 🙂
Our family ended up preferring this recipe over the last one I tried! So delicious and creamy!
Yaaaay! Thank you so much, Bea 🙂
My son is a picky eater, he loves anything mac and cheese. I must say this is a picky eater approved!
Woohoo! That’s a great news. Thank you, Kara 🙂